ASTANA, April 30. /TASS/. Kazakhstan views Russian President Vladimir Putin’s planned state visit to Astana in late May as a key event on this year’s bilateral agenda, Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev said at expanded talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
"We give priority to the preparation of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Kazakhstan, considering it a key event of this year’s bilateral agenda," Kosherbayev said. The top diplomat also added that developing relations with Russia remains an absolute priority for Astana.
"We appreciate the high level of bilateral cooperation, the steady strengthening of intensive political dialogue, the expansion of trade, economic, and investment interaction, and the implementation of major joint projects," Kosherbayev said.
He also noted the importance of humanitarian cooperation, recalling that Russian cultural events recently took place in Kazakhstan. The foreign minister noted the shared memory of the Soviet Union's Victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War and congratulated the Russian delegation on the upcoming occasion.
Kazakhstan holds the chairmanship of the Eurasian Economic Union this year, with Astana hosting the union’s summit on May 28-29. President Putin confirmed his participation in the upcoming summit and accepted the invitation for a state visit to Kazakhstan during a phone call with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Kremlin’s press office reported on February 16. Tokayev made a state visit to Moscow last November.